Oman on Friday joined the backers of an Arab summit later this month to discuss the deadly clashes between Israel and the Palestinians, in only the second such gathering since the 1991 Gulf War.

"Oman favors the holding of an Arab summit ... in October to lend the support of Arab countries to the Palestinian people in the face of the military campaign launched by the Palestinians," an official spokesman said.

"Israel is called upon to show caution and avoid provoking the Arabs," the spokesman said, quoted by the official news agency ONA.

Fellow Gulf states Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have also voiced support for the summit, which Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced, Friday would be held in Cairo on October 21-22.

Officials and diplomats in the Gulf have said Saudi Arabia likewise backed an Arab summit, although Riyadh has yet to announce its position.

The only Arab summit held since the 1991 Gulf War, which was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 that split Arab ranks, was also held in the Egyptian capital in 1996, although Iraq itself was not invited.

Iraq has also not commented on the summit.

In a rarity for the conservative Gulf, demonstrations have been held in most of the region's oil-rich monarchies to denounce Israel's use of force against protesters in the Palestinian territories.

Seventy-six people, almost all Arabs, have been killed in a week of clashes in the territories and Israel – MUSCAT (AFP)